فاس نيوز ميديا جريدة الكترونية جهوية تعنى بشؤون و أخبار جهة فاس مكناس – متجددة على مدار الساعة
Rabat – November 24, 2025
The Moroccan Association of Notaries (Adoul) has announced its total and absolute rejection of the provisions of Draft Law No. 22.16 concerning the regulation of the notary profession, which was approved by the Government Council on Thursday, November 19, 2025, in preparation for its presentation to both chambers of Parliament to complete the legislative process. The Association described the draft as “stripping the profession of its gains” and transforming it into a “law of inspection, accountability, and penalties,” which has provoked “great shock and anger” among professionals.
In a statement published by the Association, it emphasized that the preparation of the draft was marred by “exclusions and unconstitutional discrimination,” with insistence on standardizing the profession and depriving notaries of working mechanisms that enable them to keep pace with citizens’ documentation needs. The statement highlighted that dropping the “right to deposit” – which was stipulated in earlier versions of the draft – represents a major shock and violates constitutional principles related to equality between professionals and service users in rights and duties, thereby reinforcing “legislative discrimination” in favor of other documentation professions.
The Association considered this draft a “dangerous regression” from all previous agreements in dialogues with the Ministry of Justice and the National Council of Notaries, raising questions about its real objectives and whether it aims to “eliminate the profession and its gains.” It stressed that “the assault on the notarial documentation profession is an assault on a fundamental component of national identity and the social and historical memory of the Kingdom of Morocco,” holding the president of the National Council and the dialogue committee fully responsible for drafting this text.
In the context of rejection, the Association affirmed its refusal of any draft law that does not include the major demands of notaries, especially the regulation of deposit accounts, which it considers not merely a professional demand but “a criterion for the government’s sincerity in dealing with professions from a national and public service dimension,” as it guarantees the rights of service users and achieves balanced justice in documentation services. The Association also threatened to resort to all legal and constitutional means to stop “this professional massacre,” including approaching the Head of Government and the Ministry of Justice to withdraw the draft and align it with constitutional principles, calling on the Executive Office to assume its historical responsibility in rejecting it, as called for by all notaries in the Kingdom.
This rejection comes following the government’s approval of the draft, which aims – according to its official statement – to review the current legal framework for notaries under the Justice Plan Law, focusing on the profession’s role in the justice system, including documenting rights and transactions, protecting honor and lineage, and achieving documentation security to avoid disputes. The draft includes developments related to conditions for entering the profession, inspired by Recommendation 11 of the National Charter for Justice System Reform.
However, professionals believe that these developments do not meet their aspirations and lack genuine participatory approach, bringing back memories of previous tensions between notary bodies and the government regarding the regulation of the profession, and opening the door to potential escalation that may affect the course of the legislative process in Parliament.
